When our Ariston washer/dryer conked out last year, we went back to Mayer to shop for replacements. We were told, however, that they weren’t distributing Ariston anymore but suggested that we consider a washer/dryer combo from an Italian brand called Candy.
My first reaction was “hmm… maybe not”, because how can a company named after sweets be good at making household appliances? But then I remembered that a company named after a fruit makes best-selling smartphones, and decided to give Candy a chance.
It didn’t hurt that the washer/dryer set was on sale and came with a free stacking kit. Plus the new dryer was technologically superior. Our old Ariston was a vented dryer, which meant that we had to hang a ventilation tube out the window during operation. The Candy one was a condenser dryer, which didn’t require a tube and hence more convenient, especially during rainy days when the windows had to remain closed.
It’s been a year, and thankfully, both washer and dryer are still going strong.
The Wife does our laundry and I’ve offered to help a couple of times in the past, but she’s always refused.
Why? Because apparently, laundry is a precise operation, and the expectation is that I’d probably screw it up without sufficient training.
So, to pre-empt any catastrophic outcome, I requested for an instruction manual followed by a supervised dry-run. Well, not technically dry, because it’s laundry after all. After waiting several months, I finally received the eagerly anticipated manual via email, which I’ve reproduced below for easy reference.
The first rule of laundry is that you must separate the whites from the colours, and the clothes from underwear and socks.
Which is why we have three laundry baskets, one for each category. I suppose it could have easily been four baskets, except that we don’t have white underwear or socks. TMI, I know, but I had to clarify, in case you were wondering.
The second rule of laundry is that you must separate the whites from the colours, and the clothes from underwear and socks.
Yes, apparently laundry follows the same rules as Fight Club.
Now that the most important rules are settled, on to the instruction manual, with my occasional snarky comments in italics, because I like to live life dangerously (but not that dangerously).
Washer
1. Switch on main switches for Washer and Dryer. (duh!)
2. Turn knob to “Cotton” setting, marked in blue.
3. You will see the “Time Remaining” as 3 hours’ish. Press the button (3rd from left; symbol – timer/t-shirt) once, it will change the cycle to Level 1 with “Time Remaining” showing “1:56”.
4. Next, temperature – “40 degrees”; leave it as it is.
5. Last, the cycle speed. Press the button (1st from right; symbol – spiral incense) twice, it will change to “800”.
6. Put in the clothes (up to max 1/2 capacity ~10 pieces), check pockets, zip-up zips and add 8 washer balls in between. Whites with whites, colours with colours. (got it, the first rule of laundry is…)
7. Close door and press Start. (woohoo)
8. The Lock sign (beside “Time Remaining”) will start blinking and the machine will check if the door is locked properly. The sign should stop blinking after a short while and the machine will start moving. The Lock sign should remain On.
9. If the Lock sign disappears after blinking, it means the door is not closed properly and you have to press down harder on the handle, and then press Start again. Repeat until the Lock sign remains On and machine starts moving.
10. Once cycle starts, put the detergent (3 presses) in slot 2. Washer will detect weight and determine water needed. This will take about 5 mins.
11. After Weighing sign (under Lock sign) disappears, add a bottle of water for additional buffer.
12. Add a splash of dettol/bleach when needed. Then add another bottle of water. All in slot 2. (hmm… I wonder what slot 1 is for?)
13. If washing bedsheets/towels, need to add 2 to 3 bottles of water, so that they are thoroughly soaked.
14. Note that Time Remaining may change at this point of the cycle, based on the washer’s “smart” estimate.
15. Take a nap. (this part I like!)
16. Washer will beep when cycle completes. Take out the clothes and throw into the dryer. Leave the washer door open. Make sure the 8 washer balls are removed and don’t end up in the dryer.
Dryer
1. Turn knob to setting with 2 t-shirts, marked in blue.
2. Put in clothes; add in 3 dryer balls.
3. Press start. (woohoo!)
4. Continue with nap. (yes, The Wife knows me well)
5. Dryer will beep when cycle completes. Take out the clothes. Make sure you still have 3 dryer balls.
6. Clear the lint and condenser water tank.
Ok, seems easy enough.
I’ll print out this post, magnet it to our fridge and make an appointment for the certification test sometime this week. Let’s hope I pass on the first try.
Wish me luck!
